Recently, a NASA study found that after a 26 minute nap, pilot performance improved by 34%.
This is thought to be because shorter naps promote creative problem solving and alertness. But what if you snooze a bit longer? New research shows that deeper, longer naps can be helpful, and even easier to wake up from. Dr. Sara C. Mednick, a sleep researcher at the University of California, Riverside, breaks it down:
Sleep.org suggests the best time for a power nap is before or during the time you'd usually experience a post-lunch slump, around 12:30 or 2 p.m.